There is disclosed in Japanese patent S52-57615) a conventional container carrier. This container carrier comprises an articulated loading arm provided on the carrier body, and a container provided on the top front with an engaging member which catches on a hook on the end of the loading arm. When the container is loaded onto the carrier, the hook on the end of the loading arm engages the engaging member on the front of the container, and lifts the container up onto the body at an angle. When the container is unloaded, it is similarly lowered at an angle from the carrier to the ground by the loading arm.
However, because the container is diagonal to the horizontal when it is loaded and unloaded from a conventional container carrier as thus described, it cannot be loaded with such articles as pianos, furniture, fragile objects and breakables, tanks containing liquids, and similar goods. Such containers are therefore in practice limited to use with rubbish and other waste materials.
Therefore, the first object of the present invention is to provide a container carrier and a container which can be loaded and unloaded from the carrier while retaining a level attitude, and can therefore be used for the transportation of pianos, furniture, breakables, tanks containing liquids, and similar goods.
In addition, a second object of the present invention is to provide a container carrier and a container which can be loaded and unloaded from the carrier while retaining a horizontal attitude, and in addition can prevent the container from bouncing up from the carrier when bumps and holes in the road are hit during transportation, and is thus able to prevent damage to the container and the carrier, and so enables the driver to relax while driving.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a container carrier from which a container can be loaded and unloaded while retaining a level attitude, and which enables the container to automatically engage and disengage with the carrier.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a container carrier from which a container can be loaded and unloaded while retaining a level attitude, and which can prevent operational errors, can prevent the container from sloping even if the operator does err in operation, and therefore prevents the cargo inside the container from falling over.